Dr. Gio Gori, former deputy director of the US National Cancer Institute's Division of Cancer Cause and Prevention and chairman of the Tobacco Working Group, explains why the alleged dangers of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) are entirely fictional.

I know Laura is into the deeper meanings behind the anti-smoking movement. But I was so relieved when smoking was banned in the offices where I worked! I had a desktop printing calculator that was light beige when I bought it, and turned a dull orange after being in a room full of chain smokers for 9 months. And my voice, clear and strong before, became weaker and wheezing during that same period of time. It was torture for me.

We were all working on something very important. No one thought in terms of stepping outside for a smoke, or a breath of fresh air, during those months. But the fact is that I should have been separated from them, and with no firm policy against smoking in the workplace, there was no way anyone was going to make that happen.

A year later the smoking ban went in, and we had to clean up that room. The ceilings, the walls, the blinds, the light fixtures were all so dirty! But the stain had merged into the plastic of my calculator and could not be washed off.

I know from what I have learned that my reaction to the smoke was caused mostly by spiritual factors. The causes of most cancers are similar in nature. The biological irritation just acts as a trigger. It is that trigger mechanism that is the health risk, not the smoke itself. But for this reason, along with the dirt issues, I would support a ban on smoking in public places, or its segregation into ventilated areas.

Laura and others (including many ancient peoples) have demonstrated that for some, smoking affords a certain degree of spiritual, even health, protection. So does Dianetics auditing. When this world is truly free, perhaps we will be able to enjoy both safely and without undue social censorship.